Tuesday, 16 August 2016

Why Chelsea and Juventus will struggle to sign PSG star Matuidi

There is a chance the France international star could
yet leave the capital, but the balance of probabilities suggests that
he'll remain at the Parc des Princes

Last Friday night, when Blaise Matuidi came on with a quarter of an
hour remaining against Bastia, it marked the start of his sixth season
with Paris Saint-Germain. He even finished the match as the captain.
Alongside Maxwell, Thiago Motta and Javier Pastore, the former
Saint-Etienne player is one of the longest serving players on PSG’s
books. But contrary to his team-mates, the Frenchman is not sure of
staying in the capital this season.
Two years from the end of his contract, he is the object of a good
deal of attention from elsewhere, which has not yet manifested itself as
a firm offer.
Among the questions raised by the situation is this: would allowing Matuidi to depart be a good option for the French champions?
Matuidi’s presence on the bench in Corsica was purely down to his
participation at Euro 2016, which meant his return to training did not
take place until August 1. And the summer’s competition took its toll
physically on the Toulouse-born star.
There are a number of theories as to why he has struggled for his
usual effervescence in the competition, among which is the suggestion of
decline. Nearly 30, the PSG No.14 has had a complicated start to the
summer with the arrival of Unai Emery, his tactical changes, and the
signing of Grzegorz Krychowiak putting his future at the club in
question.
With doubts over the future ability of the France start to
contribute, PSG must evaluate whether this is the best time to sell him.
And for the Parc des Princes side, this might seem like an ideal
opportunity to part with one of their keystones.
Manchester United courted the player at the start of the transfer
market. Since then, Juventus and Chelsea have shown an interest in
signing a player PSG would release for around €40 million. These three
clubs have the financial muscle to create a bidding war, even if the
French outfit do not really want to sell the midfielder.
While the arguments in favour of a sale are numerous, there are those
who want to preserve the status quo. Firstly, Matuidi remains a figure
who brings added value to his team. His profile, demeanour and has
physical qualities have a terrific effect on the whole squad.
In five years, the former Troyes youth has proven that he has become a leader at the heart of a prestigious club.
Emery likes this type of player and said when he arrived in Paris
that he would speak to Matuidi before taking a decision. Before the
match in Bastia, the Spaniard indicated that he was willing to rely on
the player, despite great competition in his position.
These were words long awaited by Matuidi, who had been anxious since
the start of the summer that he would not play regularly. The former
Saint-Etienne man loves PSG and has never hidden the fact to those close
to him that leaving would be very difficult.
Even if he was not used from the beginning of that match, Emery knows
what the France star can bring in the midfield. “I want the best
players with me, and Matuidi is one of those – I want him to stay,” he
declared.
These words were echoed by PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who
indicated that there would be no sale during the presentation of Jese
Rodriguez.

Moreover, Matuidi is the only Frenchman who could be considered an
automatic starter in the current squad – just one of several reasons why
he is unlikely to be sold.